Meet Your Coach

BROCKTON, Mass. -- Bill Buckner, still youthful-looking at 61, received a standing ovation from a packed house of 450 guests when introduced as manager at the Brockton Rox Hot Stove Banquet Friday night at the Shaw Convention Center.

The Brockton Rox, for those who are unfamiliar, is a small, un-affiliated minor league team that plays in the Can-Am League. The Rox is a family-friendly ball club, and often pull publicity stunts in order to sell tickets at Campenelli Stadium. They have had former Red Sox pitchers Oild Can Boyd and Spaceman Bill Lee pitch for them on occasion. They have also had Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake take on Tito Santana in a wrestling match at one of the games. But this is the coolest stunt of them all, and it may not even be a stunt.

Buckner is the manager for the Rox, and not temporarily. This is going to be huge for the Rox to push tickets, as Buckner is just kind of infamous in New England. But I hope people don't come to the game to heckle Buckner for his famous error, and come to pay respect to a player who was a solid piece of 1980s Red Sox teams. I attend a few Rox games a year, and I sincerely hope there is no heckling toward Buckner. Yes, his error did turn the tide in the 1986 World Series, but thatteam wouldn't have made it without Buckner. Besides, all should be forgiven with Buckner after the Sox have garnered two World Series victories since the error.

The hatchet was buried during 2008 Opening Day at Fenway Park, and hopefully it won't be dug up during Buckner's tenure as Rox coach. I wish Bill Buckner luck as the Rox coach, and hope he can bring another Can-Am title to the "City of Champions."